If you haven’t yet heard of Lee Stempniak, you’re not alone. Actually, unless you live in the St. Louis, Toronto, or now Phoenix areas, you probably haven’t heard about him yet, and won’t again for a long, long time. Nevertheless, Stempniak was honored by the NHL as the Second Star of the Week ending Mar. 14 for his strong performances against Vancouver, Carolina and Atlanta. The newest little Coyote has already made a huge impact with his new club.

Stempniak scored five goals in Phoenix’s three-win week. Since his arrival, he’s helped boost the Coyotes as they continue to put together what’s going to be the best season in franchise history – including the Winnipeg era. In five games now, Stempniak has seven points and has yet to taste defeat while wearing the prairie wolf on his chest. The Coyotes are not far away from clinching a playoff spot, and when they do, the Phoenix fans will enjoy their first taste of playoff hockey since 2002.

Stempniak came up with the Blues in 2005-06 where he scored 14 goals in a rookie-shortened 57-game season. He exploded the following year for 27 goals and 52 points total; both career highs. He moved to Toronto during the 2008-09 season and in 123 games with the Leafs, he scored just 25 goals; an average of 0.2 goals per game. In five games with Phoenix, he already has six goals; averaging 1.2 goals per game.

Granted, nobody expect Stempniak to keep up this torrid pace. The 27-year old American winger is just the latest in a string of players who seem to fizzle in the big markets. It’s no secret that many can’t handle the pressure of a big-market city, and Stempniak looks like he’s going to fit in well in Phoenix. He’ll be playing in his first postseason, and he looks to be a key component in the Coyotes’ bid to win their first ever playoff series.